Shelby's POV

While we were at the mall, I had found the perfect dress for tonight's outing, James would absolutely hate it. Amanda was still insisting that she did not need a new dress, but Carli had found a little pink dress, that matched her personality well. We were currently taking a break from shopping and getting some lunch at the mall's cafeteria. "Are you really not going to buy anything?" I asked Amanda for the millionth time.

"Yes, I have plenty of dresses at home,"

"But it's girls' night," Carli and I whined.

"If it will shut the two of you up, I will buy one in the next store we go to," she finally gave up.

"Yes, Carli hurry and finish your burger, we got her now," I laughed, and Amanda flicked her straw wrapper at me. Carli looked at me and I could not help but feel a little guilty, I had overheard a conversation that I put her in the hospital for a couple of days when I left.

"Don't worry about it," Carli said as if she could read my thoughts. "If I had gone to training more, I would not have been so easily beaten by you. Next time we spare you are going down," she put the thumb down and pointed at me. I looked over to Amanda and we all started laughing. "I suppose if James can not keep you pinned, I don't stand much of a chance," she threw a wink at me and I could feel my face matching my hair.

"It's not like that," I huffed. "We are just friends,"

"Friends my ass. You two have been in love since before I can remember, I was not just the one that you went to get stuff off your chest. When we were 13, James told me that he loved you, at 14 he told me that he would rather die than have anyone else be his mate. Then finally when he turned 16, he told me that you were his mate. I can show you how big his smile was if you would like," Amanda left me in shock. I thought that I was the only one who was completely in love at a young age.

"You weren't the only one, he told me to keep you away from other boys when we got to high school. When we were 5 he told me about his crush on you, it was so cute. I mean I was a little upset because we all had a little crush on him when we were kids," Carli admitted. "He was like a prince charming, but he is your prince charming," Carli must be feeling left out, she had not found her mate yet.

"You will find your own soon enough, and he will annoy the shit out of you, but he will love you with all of his heart. He will do anything for you, if you are anything like me, you will give him your whole heart. Without reservations about if he will break it," Amanda attempted to comfort her.

"I don't think that I am ready for that yet, I want to have fun and graduate. I do want a mate, the love of my life. I just want to know who I am before then, I want to fail without anyone there to judge me. A mate ties you down, I prefer to be free," Carli said. "Now let's get Amanda a dress,"

What Carli had said made complete sense to me, I had run away from the love of my life because I was afraid of being tied down. I also had stuff to do before I was tied down, I still did have things that I wanted to accomplish before I gave myself to James completely. I liked to be a free spirit, but I was glad knowing that there was someone waiting for me. Unsurprising to me at least Carli dragged us to one of her favorite stores. I would be lying if I said I did not enjoy some of their clothing, it was perfect for going to a club intending to get a little handsy.

"Are you serious?" Amanda asked, as Carli and I pushed her into a dressing room. We made eye contact and just laughed as the door shut. We could hear the rustling of clothes and the string of curses coming out of Amanda's mouth.

"Which one do you think she will pick?" I asked Carli.

"I hope it is the red one, but she would look just as good in the blue one too," she replied. "Can I be honest with you?"

"Of course,"

"How did you change back? Amanda's power has never been reversed before; I do understand that you are supposed to be the strongest one among the hybrids. However, that does not explain how you broke the mental seal. According to the prophecy the two of you are supposed to be the strongest and deadliest, it refers to you as the lock and key to survival," Carli explained.

"Ummm, I don't know. I have never heard that before," I admitted. My mind started thinking about how I could have broken the mental seal as she called it. I thought back to how memories started in the first place, it was when James kissed me. Maybe that was it because of that, but that is just for fairytales.

"You are both dead if you seriously think I am going to wear any of these in public," Amanda joked coming out of the dressing room in her clothes. Sending a short sharp glare at Carli, I am sure I was not supposed to see that.

"But you promised to buy something in this store," Carli pouted.

"You brought me here on purpose, didn't you?"

"Who is to say?" Carli played innocent.

"You are going to pay for that," Amanda declared.

"Just find a dress before I pick one you won't like," I told her.

"Fine. I am going but just to shut the two of you up," She went back into the dressing room with some items of her choice. I looked over to Carli to see her eyes glazed over mind linking with someone. I got frustrated with not being able to talk to anyone like that, it had been so long since I have heard anyone's voice in my head. As weird as it may sound, I loved knowing that they were there whenever I needed them.

"Did you tell James that we were leaving?" Carli asked.

"No? Was I supposed to?" I replied. She gave me a look that was saying that I should have known better before going back to mind linking. I sighed and pulled out my phone to see a text from Trevor 'Can't wait to see you tonight X.O.X.O'. I really needed to block him from my phone, I just did not really know what to do. I would have to have a professional relationship because our packs are close allies, I can never tell James about what happened because he would kill Trevor. Even if I hated his guts right now, our packs came first. I laughed at my thoughts, I really did sound different, I could see what they were all talking about now.

"Shit," I heard Carli mumble.

"Is everything ok?" I asked,

"Yea, I just have to have a meeting with James when we get back, probably about the importance of getting permission before taking his mate off pack grounds," Carli shrugged.

"Say the word and I will distract him for you," I said with a mischievous glint in my eye.

"You just got back; do you really want to be on the watch list again?"

"Honey, I live on the watch list,"

Carli busted out laughing, "if you really think you can get him off my case go ahead and try," she managed to get out between fits of laughter.

"Alright I found one we are leaving now," Amanda said holding a blue dress in her arms not letting us see what she was buying. "No complaining you will see it tonight," Amanda claimed as if she was reading my mind. I just stuck my tongue out at her like a child that did not get its way.

"Let's go, James is a little mad at us right now," Carli told her.

"Leave that to me," I winked pulling out my phone. "Does he still have the same number?" I asked.

"Yes," Carli and Amanda said in unison. Typing his number into my phone I sent him a quick message with a satisfied smirk. "What did you send him?" They asked.

"You don't want to know," I replied with a grin on my face. "I'm driving," I screamed grabbing the keys from Amanda's pocket running out of the store.

"We are going to die," I heard Carli whisper to Amanda as she began to check out. I laughed to myself before going to get the car and pulling it around front. After a few minutes of waiting both Carli and Amanda came out of the store and got in the car. "I don't know what you sent James but he told us to tell you to hurry home," Carli said when she was in the car, I just laughed in response.

"I just asked if he wanted to play a game of hide and seek," I admitted. "I might have made him a deal that he could not refuse. If he caught me, I would join the pack asap no questions asked," I explained.

"What about if you win?" Amanda asked.

"I haven't told him yet, but I plan on using the game to be able to go to college,"

"He would let you go if you wanted to, he has always been lenient with you. He even stood up to his father and challenged him for the title for you," Carli said.

"Wait, what??"

"CARLI!" Amanda screamed causing Carli and I to shrink due to the volume. "You and I need to have a conversation about keeping secrets," Amanda sighed. Carli looked like a deer caught in headlights, she never meant to do any harm, we all knew that she had a hard time keeping secrets. I knew that she was breaking some of the rules for me, she felt bad that I was left out of a lot of the decisions regarding the next steps.

"I am sorry, I did not mean to..." Carli's voice trailed off.

"I know you didn't," Amanda's voice softened. "I know that Shelby has every right to know the decision that were made about her. So, this is officially off the books and every other member of the pack will not know about it. Am I clear?"

I nodded my head and Amanda began to tell me everything that had happened after I left the pack. James's dad stepped back up into the position of Alpha so that James could look for me, his dad was a little less than helpful in finding me. Amanda found her real mate, apparently, Eric had the ability to manipulate memories much like Amanda's, but he could also show people their worst fears. By doing this he could manipulate people into doing things that would prevent whatever it is the feared even though it would have no effect in the end. Amanda finished telling me about this prophecy that claimed the two of us to be the lock and key of the world's survival. She ended her summary as we pulled up to the packhouse, James was waiting at the door and I could tell that our game had already begun. "Can you two get out of the car please?" I said while maintaining eye contact with James. I briefly noted the two of them getting out of the car and my smirk grew as I shifted the car into reverse and floored it down the nearest trail.

I ditched the car and immediately went up a tree, I remember when we would play hide and seek as kids. I would always swing from the trees to avoid being found, it was a way for us to train as well as have fun. This was going to be one of the hardest games I would play with him, he often got close, but he almost never found me. I smirked as the game officially commenced as I heard his wolf's paws pound against the floor.